Adjustable depth gauge



' March 5, 1940. -F. J. STEPHAN 2,192,245

- ADJUSTABLE DEPTH GAUGE Filed Oct. 22, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 5, 1940. s N 2,192,245

ADJUSTABLE DEPTH GAUGE Filed Oct. 22, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 5, 1940 UNITED STATES 2,192,245 ADJUSTABLE DEPTH GAUGE Frank J. Stephan, Chicago, 111., assignor to H. B. Rouse & (70., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application October 22, 1937, Serial No. 170,409

' 4 Claims. (or. -45

sentially comprising a base I, having a work- Thewinvention relates to mitering machines, particularly those used for mitering or beveling the edges of printers rules and the like, and more particularly to gauges for determining the horizontal depth of cuts made in such rules.

The invention has among its objects the pro duction of a gauge which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, convenient to use, durable and efficient.

The invention has as a further object the pro duction of a gauge which :may be readily and easily adjusted for making outs of various depths, and which will at all times maintain the particular adjustment made until again manually changed.

Another object of the invention is the production of a gauge in which anyparticular adjustment is readily apparent to the operator of the machine, and in which the correct adjustment may be easily determined.

Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein shown and -described will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein given.

To this end my invention consistsin the novel construction, arrangement :Jand combination of parts herein shown and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

The gauge hereinafter described may be used in con-junction with various types of machines and for illustrative purposesthe machine shown and described in the specification and drawings is similar to the one more explicitly described in Patent No. 1,980,502 issued to Harry B. Rouse, November 13, 1937. Y I I In the drawings wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts;

,Fig. 1 is a side View of one type. of machine with parts broken away and parts in section;

Fig. 2 is a front View of the same machine;

Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view of the gauge, taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a perspective of a form of product possible with the combination of such a machine and the gauge; 1

Fig. '7 is a perspective View of another form of product; and

gauge taken Fig. 8 illustrates some of the figures and borders' possible with the machine using ordinary holder 2 mounted thereon, adapted to hold the particular work to be mitered or cut, and. a head 3 is reciprocally mounted on the frame or guideway 6, said frame being rigidly mounted on the base i. A rotary cutter 5 is carried by thehead ii and isplaced in cutting position by manually operating the handle 5,,thereby moving the cutter 5 past the stock "I held in the workholder 2.

In certain classes of work it is desirable that the cutter 5 out the stock or rule to a p-re-determined horizontal depth only, as in making bor- I ders or the like similar to that shown in Figs. 6,. 7, and 8. To enable this type workto be doneon such a machine an adjustable depth gauge is provided.

This device comprises a rod 8, one end of which is threaded into the head 3, with the oppositeend extending or projecting the-reabove. A look nut 8a is provided to maintain the rod I; rigidly in position. As shown in Fig. 3, theprojecting end of the rod 8 is also threaded, the threaded portion 9 being of a diameter smaller than that of the rod 8 thus forming the shoulder iii.

A small transverse plate I I is positioned on the portion 9 of the rod 8, between the flatwasher I2 and the spring Washer I3, the latter in turn resting on the flat washers I4 which seat on the shoulder Ill. These parts are maintained in as-.

to have the depth gauge inoperable as shown with dotted lines in Fig. i. To limit this rotation of the plate II and also to assure its return to proper operative position, a pin I'I extends transversely through the rod 8 substantially adjacent the shoulder Iii thereof and a second pin I3 ex-' tends from the plate I I, parallel to the rod 8 and of a length to engage the pin H as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. j

A stud I9 is threaded'into the plate II adjacent the projecting end thereof parallel tothe rod 8, and is securely held in place by means or the lock nut 24]; Any primary adjustment of the gauge relative to the workholder is made by merely slightly screwing the stud in or out of the plate II.

A gauge block 24 is provided with a plurality of The plate II is firmly held by the spring A base block 23 located on the frame E of the machine carries the gauge block 2|, the base block being formed with a groove 24 therein,of a size to receive said gauge block, while guide plates 25 and 26 engage the lateral grooves 21 and 28 respectively, located on the sides of the gauge block 2 l, to prevent any vertical movement of the same when in use. The gauge block, however, may be moved laterally along the groove 24, to selectively position any one of the plurality of parallel faces22, located thereon; in the path of the'stud l9;

To maintain the face selected in proper position to engage the stud E9, the bottom of the gauge bIockZi, adjacent the groove 24, is provided with a series of spaced indents 29, one oppositeeach of the parallel faces or steps 22. A small metal ball 39, ofa size to partially enter the indents, is inset in thegoove 24 of the base block 23, while a spring 3| maintains the ball 30 v in contact with the gauge block 2!, thus maintaining the latter in proper position with, respect to the stud l9 and also eliminating possibility of accidental-displacement of the gauge block.

In operation the Work 1 is placed on and held by theworkholder 2, or equivalent means, and the gauge block isthen positioned with that face in the path of the stud l9 necessary to give a cut of thedesired depth. As the handle 6 is brought down, the cutter 5 is brought into contact with the work '1 and when the desired depth of out has been reached, the stud I9 will engage the proper face of the gauge block, thus preventing any further cutting movement between the cutter 5 and the stock or work I.

' If it is desired to cut figures similar to those shown in Fig. 8, such as arrows, brackets or the like, or it is desired to diminish the thickness of the rule, the depth gauge is first properly positioned, after which the handle 6 is brought down, thus bringing the cutter in contact with the Work. The latter is then moved laterally along the workholder, past the cutter which will then make-a lateral cut 32 on the rule as shown in Fig. 6. With a little ingenuity in changing the position of the depth gauge and in varying the amount of lateral cut, many novel and decorative borders, figures and the like may be made with a machine embodying the features described in this application.

Necessary indicia to enable an operator to readily determine :the proper face of the gauge block to use for a desired cut may be stamped or otherwise marked on the gauge block or base as desired. I

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, these faces are marked as shown in Fig. 2, H, I, 2,3, 4, 5, 6, I, 8, and 9 from. the face at which the vertical thickness of the block is the smallest to the face at which it is the greatest,respectively. The vertical thickness of the gauge block at the respective faces is carefully determined so that when the gauge is positioned with the face marked H in the path of the stud l9, and a lateral cut 32, as shown in Fig. 6, is made, the portion 33, remaining will be of hairline width. Like wise, if face I is used instead of face H, the por-' tion 33 will be of one-point thickness so on up to nine points. Thus, the operator may instantly set the depth of cut to anyone of ten positions rangingfrom hairline to the heavier faces, en-

abling decorative border and rule shearing work to be done rapidly and accurately.

While the gauge, for illustrative purposes has been shown on a machine of the type described,v

in which the workholder is stationary andthej cutting head and wheel move relative thereto, obviously, the device mayfbe readily adapted to l5 and attached on other types of machines, as, for example, those machines in which the cutting head is stationary and the workholder is movable relative thereto. I

Having thus described my invention, it ob-- vious that various immaterial modifications may be made in the same withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention; hence, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction andjarrangement and com- T bination of parts shown and described or'us mentioned.

What I claim as new and desire tosecure by. Letters Patent is:

1..In a machine of the, described, the

combination of a workholder and cutter head,

the complete passageth'ereof laterally through" the-material to be cut,each step operative to stop: the travel of the cutter head when the thickness 7 of the remaining material in line Withthe'path of the cutter is that of one of a predetermined number of printing points, and resilient-me'ansassociated with'saidblock for maintaining a selected step of the same in operative position.

2. In a machine of the kind described, the combination of a workholder'and a cutter head,

one of which is movable relative to the'other, and means for limiting the movementof the movable element comprising arod rigidly secured Y to said element, extending fromand carried by the same, a transverse member'attached' to the projecting end of said rod, and rotatable thereabout to render said gauge inoperative, said rod and member being rigidly connected as to "force applied on said member in a direction parallel to the travel of said movable element, a gaugeblock positioned in the path of said transverse member and engageable-therewith, said gauge block having a plurality of parallel faces arranged to form'a plurality of steps, said steps being of a siz'e to limit the'movement of the cutter.

and retain the cutter against the'complete passage thereof laterally through the material to be out, each step operative to stop the travel of the cutter head when the thickness of the remain- I ing material in line with the path of the cutter is that of'one of a predetermined number of in operative position.

printing points, and means associated withsaid." 7 block for maintaining a selected step of the same 3. In a machine 'of-v the type described," the combination of a workholder, aframe; a head re- 30 one of which is movable relative to the other, and means for limiting the movement of the movable ciprocably mounted on theframe, and having a cutter, a rod rigidly secured to the same, extending from and carried by said head, a transverse member attached to the projecting end of said rod, said rod and member being rigidly connected as to force applied on said member in a direction parallel to the travel of said head and cutter, a rectangular gauge-block slidably carried on said frame, said block having a plurality of parallel faces 01' steps, any one of which may be selectively positioned in the path of said transverse member, and resilient means associated with said block for maintaining the same in the position selected.

4. In a machine of the type described, the combination of a workholder, a frame, a head reciprocably mounted on the frame, and having a cutter, a rod rigidly secured to the same, extending from and carried by said head, a transverse member attached to the projecting end of said rod, and rotatable thereabout to render ,said

gauge inoperative, means associated therewith to restrict the rotation of said member about said rod, said rod and member being rigidly connected as to force applied on said member in a direction parallel to the travel of said head and cutter, a gauge-block carried on said frame, said block having a plurality of parallel faces or steps, any one of which may be selectively positioned in the path of said transverse member, said steps being of a size to limit the movement of the cutter and retain the cutter against the complete passage thereof laterally through the material to be out, each step operative to stop the travel of the cutter head when the thickness of the remaining 

